In a previous post, I covered the importance of regular and thorough toothbrushing. Equally important is correct, regular flossing. Flossing gets food out from those areas between teeth and along the gums that brushing simply cannot reach. If left there, it will eventually lead to cavities or gum disease.
You should start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as their teeth touch each other. And the technique you follow depends on what type of floss you use. Here are guidelines for both:
Traditional Floss:
- Take about 18 – 22 inches of floss and have your child wrap most of it around one finger (usually the pointer) on the left or right hand. Then have your child wrap the rest of the floss around one finger on the other hand. Please make sure it is not too tight on either finger.
- Have your child take the floss up one side of each tooth and down the other side making sure to get along the gum line of both the top and bottom teeth.
- After each tooth, unwrap one loop of floss from the starting finger and wrap one loop onto the other finger.
- Repeat this between each pair of teeth.
Floss Picks:
- Simply run the floss up and down the teeth like you would with traditional floss. Rinse off the floss between teeth and get a new pick either when the floss looks fuzzy or after each session.
Like I covered in the post on brushing, make this a regular, fun activity, one which you track and give rewards.
